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CP Canada Network is working towards a life without limits for people with cerebral palsy (CP) every day, promoting awareness, accessibility, and effective programs and services across the country.

CP is the most common physical disability in children, affecting more than 50,000 Canadians. Early diagnosis and treatment of CP, as well as support for families has priority for Kids Brain Health Network from the very beginning. Dr. Darcy Fehlings, lead of the Network’s CP research group based at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Centre in Toronto has been a consistent champion for connecting the research community with community organizations that actively serve and engage children with CP and their caregivers.

When Donna Cappelli’s son was born 10 weeks premature, the doctors told her not to worry—it would just take him a bit longer to reach developmental milestones.

But as time passed, it became clear to Donna that this wasn’t the case. Milestone dates were passing by, and Julian couldn’t yet hold his head up, grasp for things, or hear well. By the time he was one year old he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP).

Amy Lockwood was nearly two months pregnant when her neighbourhood had a block party. Every half hour, families would migrate from one house to the next, where a different appetizer and alcoholic beverage were served.

At each house, Amy declined a drink, reminding her neighbours that she was pregnant. She has strong personal connections with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and knew the dangers of drinking while pregnant. But every time, she was met with a response that shocked her.

A unique autism intervention called the Social ABC’s has received national attention this week after a recently published study shows the program improves communication and development of children with diagnosed or suspected autism.

The study—published by Holland Bloorview and IWK Health Centre—enrolled 62 children aged 16 to 30 months with confirmed or suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their primary caregivers. The treatment group received the Social ABC’s intervention immediately, while the control group waited six months to start. Children in the treatment group saw significant improvement, while the delayed group made little to no progress.